Edo state Governor Adams Oshiomhole has launched the state’s Open Data Portal, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa as part of the state’s 3rd Technology Day.

Edo State Governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole said the only way to deal with wastage, fraud and ghost workers syndrome in government is to introduce Information and Communications Technology into governance.

Speaking during the launch, Oshiomhole said on assumption of office, he had a clear idea that the way to clean the mess in the running of government business was to set up an ICT unit.

The launch of the Open Data Portal marked another milestone for the state which for the past three years has been reaping the proceeds of ICT, the last being the discovery of 1300 teachers who falsified their ages among other things.

The governor said “we want to be able to run not only an efficient government but an accountable government”, that the promise of democracy is the capacity of the people to interrogate those in authority over the management of scarce resources and that capacity cannot be exercised in the absence of information communication technology.

The Minister for Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson in her keynote address, commended the Edo government on the development of ICT, said it transforms and improves the interaction between government and citizens as well as between government and international community.

The World Bank representative, Mr. Jeff Kaplan in a goodwill message, felicitated with Edo state government in its effort to establish open governance in Edo State.